VALE of Lune travelled to Broughton Park for their penultimate North 2 West league game having already clinched the championship the previous week.

Promotion, the first in Vale's history, was confirmed when nearest rivals Rochdale lost at home to Stockport, leaving the locals in the satisfying situation of knowing they could not be caught by the chasing pack.

But there was disappointment ahead for Vale at Broughton Park - as they lost their first league game since the beginning of November to end a 13-match winning sequence.

Injuries affected the Vale's selection with a number of regulars' side-lined. And the team never settled against a well organised pack, struggling to dictate the pattern of play.

As a result, little was seen of the Vale's lively three-quarter line because the supply of ball from set pieces was always untidy and slow.

Still, Vale made a bright opening with skipper Ian Bird powering his way down the middle, but James Moore was hauled down before he could threaten the Park line.

And it was the home side who scored first with a forward try touched down by Richard McCabe, which Pete Oakes converted after seven minutes.

Park's forwards successfully disrupted the Vale's scrums and line-outs and they went further ahead in the 25th minute, with flanker David Rodgers peeling off a loose maul to register. Oakes again converted.

Dan Griffiths lifted Vale with a try when he pounced on a Park error to race away for a score in the left hand corner with eight minutes left to half time.

There was to be no revival for the visitors, though, because in the closing minutes Park ran in tries from Mark Poole and John Clifford, one of which Oakes converted to leave the Vale trailing 26-5 at the break.

Five minutes into the second half, Moore took off to leave the Park defence in tatters for a well-taken try, which he then converted.

But Broughton Park replied almost immediately as Gareth Gerrad broke through some half-hearted backfilling for an unconverted try.

Although Vale made changes in their pack, Park continued to make life difficult for the league champions - compounding the misery still further when McCabe followed his forwards over for a try, which Oakes converted.

Vale chased a lost cause as Moore raced away for another solo try, which he again converted.

But the game ended with the Park forwards driving Vale backwards for David Brookes to score the final try, again converted by Oakes to inflict the heaviest league defeat of the league season on Vale.

VALE OF LUNE: J. Bryan; N. Latham; H. Phillipson; I. Bird (Capt); D. Griffiths; J. Moore; J. Bleasdale (replaced S. Swarbrick 63 min); W. Lord; A. Morrison; P. Jackson (mp M. Sutcliffe 50 min); J. Bowskill; S. Burns; S. Pye (mp K. Yates 50 min); G. Little; M. Fowler.